//------------------------------// // Ch. 6: Breaking Expectations // Story: Doctor Whooves - The Series: Episode Three - Along Came a Spider // by Loyal2Luna //------------------------------// Chapter 6: Breaking Expectations Stone-Water Village 71st of Spring, 975 C.R. (Celestia's Reign), 10:04 a.m. Clarity. That was the only way to describe what Zulu, the Sage of War, was feeling as he moved at a brisk trot down the familiar paths of Stone-Water Village. He was also having a modicum of success at blocking out the chilling feeling that attempted to send him into a similar panic that had befallen his fellow striped equines that morning. He had been some distance from Thunder Drum when he saw it, looking up in the early light of dawn to make out the thick cloud of shifting black feathers and cold certainty that circled the mountain. More than anything else he had seen; more than the wasteland that was once the golden plains of Zebrica or the pitifully dry wells that dotted the landscape, it was this sight that drove home the precarious position his people now found themselves in. And now, there was no soothing, reassuring voice in the back of his mind to assuage him that his concerns were unfounded. There was no flood of sight and sound that brought his mind first to his duty. For the first time since he accepted his role as the "Warlord" of the Anasi, his senses were entirely his own. And he did not at all care for what they perceived around him. Unbidden, his eyes flickered overhead to the ominous black cloud that almost completely covered the blue sky above with their shifting wings and lazy circling motions. It was no wonder to him why such a grouping was called a "murder." As he moved through the empty, eerily quiet paths, he found he could also consider his own position. By all rights, he had broken ranks and was ignoring a direct order from the Goddess that he had been sworn to serve, leaving his halfhearted (and in his mind, futile) attempt to recapture the unicorn and the enigmatic Doctor behind as he raced back to the city of his birth, intent on consulting the only stallion left whose council he still cared for. But as he approached the broken doorway, the calm, rational justification for his rush back home was lost, and the zebra sprinted into the hut, throwing his gaze around the simple room. “Potion Maker!” he started, his tone perhaps more frantic than he intended as his warrior’s eyes took in the scene. The ground had been dug into; there had been many heavy hooves tearing at the heavily packed flooring here, and a dampness that he could only attribute to a massive spill from the large cauldron. While he had never been one to follow Zilaka’s myriad of potion ingredients, he was more than aware that many of the containers that lay on the shelves or hung from the ceiling had been knocked from their resting place, only to have been cleaned up again and placed in the wrong order. "Father!?” Zulu’s tone became decidedly less edged as he began, not for the first time, to miss the calming tone in his mind assuring him that all was well and that he need not concern himself. He missed it... but as he looked upon the scene, he found a comforting replacement in the steadily rising heat within his chest. Walking towards the workbench where his father often spent hours on end, the zebra warrior took note of the dampness, the sickeningly pungent greenish fluid that seemed to have spilled over on the table and floor, and the broken pieces of one of the gourds his sire tended to use for his potion brewing. He also made out fresh dents in the table; hooves slammed and scraped into the surface in a frantic state that were far smaller than those of his own or the elder sages… ...Zecora? Zulu puzzled for a moment, trying to piece together just what had happened here. Wait a moment… Zulu turned to the cauldron, taking a sniff and immediately identifying the sour and unpleasant aroma of the Mau Root, but was surprised to see the that surface of the cauldron’s contents was completely placid. Risking a searing burn, Zulu moved his leg up to press against the metal boiling pot. It was cold. Eyes widening with realization, Zulu turned without a word and bucked a back hoof into the cauldron hard, sending it rolling with a reverberating gong and spilling its unappetizing contents yet again across the hut’s floor as he confirmed his suspicions: the hollow space under the cauldron was empty. “Clever filly…” Zulu huffed. “Now… where would you go?” ———————— Holding Chambers Thunder Drum Mountain 71st of Spring, 975 C.R., 10:25 a.m. “Zilaka!” A lilting, familiar voice cut through the haze of dark unconsciousness to bring the potion maker up into a state of equally dark awareness. “You still with me over there?” “Uuunnngghhhh…” the sage moaned softly as he turned onto his back, his legs folded somewhat awkwardly towards his chest. Already, he could feel several sore welts across his body from the stomping pummeling he remembered at the hooves of the Anasi warriors that invaded his home and workplace. “Can I take that as a yes?” the Doctor asked, his tone surprisingly light considering what he likely endured before being forced into submission. “...For now,” the zebra stallion admitted, his tone far less upbeat as he tried to roll up onto his hooves, failing miserably at it before his thoughts were cast to a more important matter. “Zecora?” “I’m not sure... She’s not here with us, at least. In fact, I believe they left her there. Not too surprising; in her current condition, she’s not exactly a threat,” the Doctor rattled off as Zilaka’s eyes adjusted to the dark a bit better. He was in a small chamber made up of three stone walls and a solid turn-stone door that was clearly only capable of being opened from the outside. It was quite cramped, with just enough room for him to stand and lay down in from wall to wall. It wasn’t exactly pitch black, as there was a bit of ambient light filtering into the cramped cell from a square cut hole running from the top of either wall. If he had to guess, it seemed to double for ventilation as well as to allow prisoners to speak with one another, as it was from this hole that the Doctor’s voice came again. “I’m sure she’s fine. She’s in good hooves with Twilight and Fluttershy,” the earth pony’s voice assured the zebra as he pulled himself into a more comfortable laying position. “Right, perfectly fine… save for the fatal, agonizing poison and the equally, if not more-so, fatal variations of ‘medicine’ that we did not have time to test,” Zilaka pointed out, his tone more than a little agitated. “Well, I wasn’t going to mention those…” The earth stallion’s tone was apologetic, but Zilaka merely sighed. “But may I recommend we focus more on our current situation before we get back to saving her?” “There is no getting back, Doctor. We tried to go against the Anasi and now they intend to make an example of us,” Zilaka explained, his situation feeling more hopeless the longer he spoke. “We are in the Dark Rooms.” “Riiight… the Dark Rooms. Why can’t prisons and dungeons ever hold captives in a Flower Room? Or the All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Room? Although, I suppose those would technically be the same thing here, wouldn't they?” Zilaka looked up at the vent from which the Doctor’s voice came with a quiet, puzzled expression for a moment. “...Never mind, I’m just a wee bit hungry. Please continue,” the Doctor said, clearly disappointed at the silent response to his quip. “The Ash-Stripes used them for meditation, to cut off a sage from all distractions in an effort to draw forth inspiration or enlightenment,” Zilaka explained. “But for the Anasi, it is merely a place to hold troublesome zebras until they are able to bring in a crowd to watch them be given to the Pit.” “Oh, of course. Good old public executions: the fallback of tyrants in this and every dimension, it would seem,” the Doctor huffed. “A bit extreme for what I’ve seen of Equis culture though, both pony and zebra. I'm guessing it wasn’t something that happened before the Anasi.” “No… they started doing that after a few young stallions were caught trying to steal from the Anasi’s water supply some time ago.” Zilaka shook his head in disgust. “The Prophet accused them of everything from the theft, to starting the Parching itself, trying to incite the herds against them. It did not work, of course. The herds saw it for what it truly was: an overt and disgusting display intended to cow them into submission, with the threat that they, too, were one misstep away from sharing the same fate. Unfortunately, just because they knew what it was did not keep it from working.” “So now it’s ‘to the Pit’ for us, it seems,” the Doctor’s voice came again. “What exactly does that entail?” “Exactly what it sounds like. The Pit is a natural hazard in the central chamber of Thunder Drum. It has been there since the Ash-Stripes first built Stone-Water; just a large hollow that seems to go on forever. Some believed it was a passage to another world, while the Anasi claim that it is from the Pit that their Spider Queen will rise to strike down all opposition to her rule. Personally, I think it is just a deep hole that likely has sharp rocks at the bottom.” “You know, for a sage of witchcraft, you certainly don’t seem too enamored with the mystical nature of the world.” “I am simply a pragmatist, Doctor…” The zebra sighed with defeat, doing what he could to make peace with his fate. The Doctor drew in a sharp breath. “My condolences, then.” “What do you mean?” “Well, you see, the problem with being a pragmatic pony is that once you run into the dead end of reason, that’s it. Everything ends.” The Doctor’s voice was again surprisingly upbeat given their situation, giving the zebra a moment of pause. “When a pragmatic sort runs out of viable options, they just stop and say ‘Alright fate, you win.’ Then they wait for it to hit them.” “Fate always wins out in the end, Doctor,” Zilaka countered philosophically. “Is that the real reason why you didn’t fight back?” The simple question stung, and there was no denying or hiding it as the potion maker turned towards the source of the voice. He wanted to get angry about it, riled by the insinuation. But unfortunately, the zebra couldn’t find it in himself to do so. “Well then... what would you suggest?” Zilaka asked instead. “Well, I’ve been in a prison or two in my time, and I’ve had plenty of experience with getting out of tight situations,” the Doctor boasted proudly. “Under most circumstances, I would come up with a brilliant plan or three to get out of the cell, get around to where the enemy least suspects me, strike a decisive blow against my opponents, regroup with my plucky companions, and then do something incredibly clever to save the day.” There was a moment of silence. “Rather lofty boast…” Zilaka huffed, amused by the absurdity of the situation. “Or, as I like to refer to it: Saturday. Saturdays are always the most exciting.” Zilaka could hear the grin in the pony’s voice, and had to admit that his optimism was certainly appealing in these dire straits. “Well, by all means, Doctor. Do not let me stop you.” “You aren’t,” the Doctor assured him, the grin fading and his optimism deflating “There’s just one... tiny problem.” In the neighboring cell, the Doctor squirmed as his brown mane brushed the ground, his hindhooves strapped together and tied by a length of vine to the roof of his cell. With either foreleg strapped down along his flanks by thicker, more robust vines, it was all he could do to sway like a pendulum in the limited space. Coupled with the fact that his sonic screwdriver had been wrested away from him during the conflict at the medicine hut and was now nowhere in range of his thoughts, it brought him to an unfortunate conclusion. “...They’re learning.” ———————— Intensive Care Ward, Room 7 Pranceton Plainsboro Memorial Hospital 30th of Summer, 1001 C.R., 10:25 a.m. “This is a rather… irregular request.” Doctor Stable attempted to hide his discomfort as he stood at the foot of the patient’s bed, Nurse Redheart at his flank and the muscular red stallion known as Big Macintosh standing along the side. “It is a long-held zebra tradition,” Zecora explained, her voice raspy as she panted for breath. To the medical unicorn, she looked dangerously dehydrated despite the large amount of water that she was being given. An observation that was only granted greater weight as she coughed dryly before leaning over to take the straw from another rapidly depleting pitcher of water. “You are asking us to roll you outside into the talons of a predator!” Nurse Redheart clarified, having a great deal more trouble keeping a calm disposition than the caramel-coated stallion, who held up a hoof to quiet her. “We’ve been keeping tabs on this… ‘Roc’ creature since it first appeared over the hospital. It’s caused a bit of a panic among many of our patients, but so far it hasn’t shown itself to be any sort of threat. Now, I’m not familiar with your customs, Miss Zecora, but--” “My Roc is here for me… and nopony else,” Zecora interrupted, Big Mac standing silent as she tried to make the two ponies understand. “When my time comes, it will do whatever is required to take me. And I can tell you from experience that you will not... cannot stop it. It will crash through the roof and tear the walls asunder to take me to my final rest, and woe befall any beast, pony, or zebra that dares to stand in its way.” “But what you’re asking…” “When the time comes… I ask only that you take me outside and do not interfere,” Zecora stated, drawing in a deep breath. “I have been granted a reprieve… a precious day and company I would not trade away for anything, and for that I am grateful… But, soon...” The zebra closed her eyes and bowed her head sadly. “I want nopony else harmed on my account.” “Mr. Apple-- er, Big Macintosh…” Doctor Stable turned to the red stallion, who had remained mute throughout the entire exchange. “In the absence of Miss Sparkle, I think that it’s safe to assume you can take up her responsibilities as proxy. I mean, she clearly isn’t in the right mind to… That is to say…” Dr. Stable took a steadying breath. “If you could talk her out of it...” “Nnnope,” was all that Big Mac said, although his tone was equally sad and defeated. “But--” “Physician Stable…” Zecora interrupted, feeling slightly put off that he was trying to find another venue to dismiss her request right in front of her. “If you wish to help me, then I would appreciate it if you and the kindly nurse would stand in my Mourning Line.” “I’m sorry?” Nurse Redheart brought a hoof to her chest, a confused look on her face. “Your what?” “It is part of the Zebrican tradition. Friends and family bear witness at a safe distance; a solemn vigil for the one to be taken. There are no ceremonies or eulogies involved. All that is required is presence… and a respect for the one whose time has come.” Stable and Redheart turned to look at one another for a moment, their eyes clearly asking the same question. After a quiet few seconds, they both turned back to the zebra. “...If that is what you want,” Nurse Redheart said in a defeated tone. “Is there anypony else you want us to contact? To attend?” Dr. Stable asked. “Miss Pie, or Miss Dash, perhaps?” “No, my dear physician. I do not want them to see me…” Zecora looked at one hoof, the green veins running up to encompass her entire foreleg with a quiet throbbing. “…like this. I want them to remember me as I was. With dignity… and bearing.” Big Mac looked to Zecora with a worried expression. “‘Bloom?” he asked simply. More than anything else, this one word brought down the peaceful contention that Zecora had made with her end, looking towards the closed door. “That… is her choice to make.” ...Outside the door, Apple Bloom sat with her back against the wall and her legs splayed out under her, her face buried in her hooves as she sobbed uncontrollably, more alone and helpless than she had ever felt in her entire life. ———————— Stone-Water Village, Outskirts 71st of Spring, 975 C.R., 11:15 a.m. “Tell them I do not care what the Prophet decrees!” Teaka, the former acting chief of the Towiki Herd, now little more than another thirsty refugee, stamped her hoof into the brittle ground as she looked to the messenger that had the gall to interrupt this most sacred of rites. “We will come to the mountain for whatever that lying striped mother of a hyena wants after we have seen to this! Not a moment before!” The colt who had been sent to gather the precession moving to the outskirts drew back, clearly less than eager to press the point in the face of the infuriated mare. “For your own sake and that of your herd--” he tried to reason, only to have his snout pressed back as the formidable mare bore down on him. “My herd is broken up and scattered across this accursed village, begging for scraps of food and mouthfuls of water when it was promised to be a haven and being bullied by the so-called ‘protectors’ of this place! So, colt, explain to me how abandoning something of this importance to obey the whim of Anasi’s Prophet will ‘aid’ my herd!” The striped colt’s ears flattened back, his expression suitably frightened -- although, given the nature of what they had awoken to find, that was not surprising -- and took a few steps back, clearly not wanting to lengthen his confrontation with the Towiki elder. “We will attend when this is done,” Teaka stated again, moving to return to her place. “Now, show some proper respect… or leave.” The colt hesitated, but after a moment, it became clear that his fear of reprisal by the Anasi far outweighed whatever fear he had of one incensed old mare, and he turned to spring away at high speed. Teaka sighed as she moved back into the line that had formed along the edge of the village. Perhaps two dozen zebras were in attendance, only a few of them actual members of the Towiki. The others were of those they had met over the last day that could sympathize with losing someone to the mysterious ailment that had afflicted so many. Most notable among the Mourning Line was a nearly inconsolable mare, held back by her mate as she seemed on the verge of rushing forward in the hope of sharing the fate of the one at the center of attention. Laying on a plain reed mat, out in the open and made as comfortable as could be done, was a single colt squirming and moaning in a constant, agonizing pain. Teaka played over the events of the past few days again and again in her mind as she tried to get her hoof at where things had turned for the worse. From the moment they had entered the village, things had gone wrong. Instead of open sharing, many of the zebras here had taken on a fearful and reclusive manner, preferring to hide away from the sun and dart out only for the crumbs and drops offered by the aggressive Anasi stallions. Or was it before that, when she had gone against her better judgment, thinking to win favor with such a cowardly act as turning the "outsiders" over to the Anasi in order to curry their favor? Now that she thought back on it, this was a folly that she regretted the most, for the kindness that the three traveling ponies had shown her was the last that she had known. The water offered to them freely had been enough to help keep the young colt alive for this long, but now even than had run out, divided and shared as much as they could between the few allies they had made among those that remembered to respect the old ways. Or perhaps she had been wrong all along. She had let her own desperation and hope in the promise of safe haven at Thunder Drum cloud the sound judgment of her predecessor, who had gone out of his way to avoid the Anasi right up until his death. As she brought her gaze up to the colt, who gritted his teeth as he held on dearly to whatever had kept him going this far, Teaka felt the guilt stab into her like a spear. To think he had lasted longer than any other who had suffered the Bite… and the only cause she could imagine was due to the brown pony, whom she had betrayed in an instant for the hollow promise of water. Her gaze moved higher, to the circling murder of Rocs above them. Never before had she seen them gather in such numbers, and in spite of the fear she felt at the sight of them, she couldn’t help but wonder if what she had done had attributed to it; attributed to whatever tragic horror was upon them that brought the harbinger birds out in such force. Her intuition told her that whatever oncoming storm was upon them, it was likely that they would soon be joining the colt in his fate. Brushing those dour thoughts away and returning her focus to the present, she turned to look down the line, to faces familiar, new… ...and cloaked? Teaka was snapped from her introspection as she took note of a pair of cloaked equines near the end of the line, almost completely hidden by two improvised sheets made into coats. Preparing to call out to them and demand explanation for their presence, the former Towiki mare heard a cry that drew her attention back to the colt’s mother, whose eyes were directed upward. Following her gaze, Teaka watched as a single Roc, smaller than its brethren, peeled away from the murder and began to descend, its wings spread wide as it gracefully began to swoop down towards them. All other distractions would have to wait, as Teaka steeled herself to bear witness to a small filly rushing out past the line. ...Wait, what? Teaka was speechless for a moment, watching as the filly dove forward, a gourd tied to her back and a brown cloth wrapped around her neck. Her mane done up into a mohawk and bearing stripes at awkward angles in a shade of grey, the realization struck her as the Mourning Line broke out into utter confusion and cries from the adult zebras were heard. “An Ash-Stripe?” “I thought they were wiped out!” “What are you doing, filly!?” “Get back here!” The crowd was torn between shock and awe as Teaka brought her eyes upward again, watching the Roc fold its wings in and gain speed in its descent, as if recognizing some sort of threat to its duty. And the Towiki elder could only look on as the young zebra slid into place next to the colt. “W…who are you?” the young, afflicted zebra tried to ask, his body quivering with exhaustion as he panted for breath. “Please my friend, you must hold still!” Zecora barked out, twisting her body and pulling the cork of the gourd free with her teeth. “I have just the thing to fit the bill.” "SCREEEEEEE!" The furious, piercing cry of the Roc set back many of the adults, and those who were not utterly stunned to actually hear the voice of death itself merely watched as the remarkable scene unfolded. “Quiet, bird! Shut your beak!” The filly tilted her body forward, bringing the gourd off her back to be cradled in her forelegs as she allowed indignation to overpower her fear. “You will not win… unless this brew is weak!” With the Roc descending, gleaming talons outstretched, Zecora upended the gourd, pouring a clear fluid onto the colt’s hind leg. “Whatever my doubts, at least those I confess... Please let this potion be a success…” Zecora took a step back, her eyes turning up as the Roc cried out again. "SCREEEEEEE!" *Fzzzzzzzzzzt* “Ah! Aaah-hah!” The colt thrashed and convulsed in place as a bubbling green froth suddenly seemed to boil over on his leg. “ZECORA!” One of the cloaked figures dove forward, her cloak falling back to reveal a curled and disheveled pink mane and yellow coat. "SCREEEEEEE!" *FLUMPH* Teaka tore her eyes away from the winged pony, looking back towards what had sounded like the ending beat of a dive, and stood with her mouth agape as the Roc’s voluminous wings beat in place for a moment, stopping its momentum cold. It hovered in place, casting its wide shadow over the proceedings as it watched the colt intensely with its beady black eyes. The green lines across his body were gone… a puddle of bubbling pus pooling on the ground underneath him as the Ash-Stripe filly stood over him protectively. Her eyes betrayed no fear, in spite of the fact that she was standing closer to the Roc than most zebras would ever come before their own time. There was a moment of absolute silence, save for the sound of beating wings, as the fizzing sound died out and the colt’s body went slack. *FLASH* Zecora didn’t look away as a magical light burst into being behind her head, her eyes locked with the harbinger's. *FLUMPH* And with a powerful thrust of its wings, the Roc flew skyward… perhaps the very first of its kind to come out of a dive with its talons empty. The Mourning Line watched as Fluttershy moved up behind Zecora, who seemed frozen in place while the pegasus checked on the colt, followed swiftly by the colt’s mother, who pulled forward as her husband remained awestruck. “He’s alive… He’s breathing…” Fluttershy observed, the mother zebra utterly beyond words as she scooped up her unconscious foal, now merely black and white with only a trace of green on his leg, and cradled him. Meanwhile, Teaka’s eyes remained fixed on the foalish, courageous Ash-Stripe filly, stunned to see the symbol that had miraculously appeared on the young zebra’s flank, and recognizing it for what it surely was. The first cutie mark of Zebrica... The Tribal Sun; the symbol of the Healer. “Teaka,” a new voice grabbed the zebra mare’s attention, causing her to turn to the face of a purple pony mare, horn on her head and black lines running down either side of her face. “We need to talk.” ———————— Pranceton Plainsboro Memorial Hospital, Front Steps 30th of Summer, 1001 C.R., 11:14 a.m. Apple Bloom sat somewhat awkwardly on the front steps of Pranceton Plainsboro, looking up with contempt at the dark bird circling the sky and trying to imagine a way to keep it at bay. So far, her best plan was a mental image of herself bucking the buzzard square on the beak if it came in for a dive. Not the most subtle, detailed, or even feasible of tactics, but at the moment it was all that she had. *thud* A sudden sound brought her attention back down to Equis as the yellow farm filly turned to take note of the white box with a red ribbon that had been placed in front of her, behind which stood two fillies she was honestly surprised to see. “Hey…” Scootaloo started, her eyes downcast and with a tone to match. There was a moment of silence. “Hey,” Apple Bloom replied, unsure what else to say. Another moment of silence. “Are you two ordering off a menu or are we gonna talk about what’s wrong?” Sweetie asked, her expression uncharacteristically impatient as she moved from Scootaloo’s side to stand between her two friends. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked at one another for a moment, neither saying anything as the white unicorn rolled her eyes. “Ugh... I’m gonna have to do this myself, aren't I? Okay, fine!” She took a breath before pointing a hoof at Scootaloo. “You’re sorry that you got all up in Apple Bloom’s face and made her spill that water all over you.” Scootaloo’s cheeks flushed as she looked down and away. “...Yeah...” “And you’re sorry…” Sweetie pointed her other hoof at Apple Bloom. “...for being stubborn and snapping about playing games when we offered to help.” Apple Bloom let out a sad sigh. “...Yeah…” “And you’re also sorry…” Sweetie’s right hoof twisted back so that two hooves were pointed at Scootaloo. “...that you brought up the mess with the Cutie Pox.” “Okay, yeah, I get it, Sweetie,” Scootaloo huffed with an embarrassed smirk. “And you are also sorry for-- W-whoa-ah!” Sweetie Belle wobbled on her hind legs for a moment, having neglected to shift her weight upright as she pulled both of her forehooves around towards Apple Bloom. Her momentum sent her tumbling forward with a startled cry, her voice cracking ever so slightly as she ended up on her belly with her nose against the small gift box. Unable to hold back, both the pegasus and earth pony were immediately overcome with a fit of giggles at their unicorn friend’s almost Pinkie-esque antic. And while it was short-lived, it seemed to lighten the air considerably as the two fillies met one another’s eyes and, with an mute nod of agreement, both reached over to help their fellow Crusader to her hooves. “I'm okay, I'm okay," Sweetie said quickly, rubbing her shoulder to work out a kink from the fall. "I lost my place, where was I?” “We get it, Sweetie… Thanks.” Scootaloo smirked, looking to Apple Bloom a moment before pushing the gift box to her. “What’s this?” Apple Bloom cocked her head a bit in surprise. “Open it.” Sweetie grinned as Apple Bloom did as asked, using her teeth to pull the ribbon top loose and both hooves to slip the top off the box. The farm filly’s eyes widened as she looked inside. “Oh, mah stars…” Apple Bloom exclaimed, stunned, as she reached in and drew out a familiar pink silk bow. Scootaloo and Sweetie beamed at her reaction. “Y'all went inta the Everfree an’ got it back?” she asked breathlessly, beyond excited to see her bow again. “Ah thought Ah’d never see this again!” “Ummm…” Scootaloo and Sweetie exchanged a glance. “Actually, we swiped it from Carousel Bou-- OOF!” Sweetie started, receiving hard nudge in the ribs from her orange friend. Scootaloo gave Apple Bloom a huge, guilty grin as the farm filly sent them both a blank look, holding the over-sized bow in her hooves... and then cracked up laughing. Scootaloo and Sweetie looked at one another again and joined in with nervous chuckles before Sweetie brought herself to ask, “It’s… okay, right? I mean, I had to guess at the size, and there wasn’t a whole lot of pink silk." “Are ya kiddin’? Y'all 're riskin’ Rarity gettin’ mad atcha and sneakin’ in the Boutique when Opalescence is there all by yerselves? Forget the Everfree, that has ta be like, a hundred times more dangerous.” “Tell me about it…” Scootaloo rolled her eyes, twisting a bit to show a huge set of scratches that lined her rump, barely visible against her orange coat. “After we got away from that little monster, I was thinking we were better off risking the manticores.” “At least you don't have to stay with that monster every other weekend,” Sweetie pointed out. “Hey, that's why I offered to run interference in the first place.” “Girls…” Apple Bloom got both of their attentions, her moment of relief starting to be dragged down as it wore on, but managing to keep a tired smile. “Thanks… Ah really… really appreciate it.” “Apple Bloom… you know we'll always be here for you.” Scootaloo sidled up to her as Sweetie moved around, taking up the bow and carefully setting it under the farm filly’s mane. “Now…” Sweetie started the difficult task of tying the bow into place with her hooves. “Talk to us. What’s really going on?” ———————— Central Chamber Thunder Drum Mountain 71st of Spring, 975 C.R., 11:15 a.m. One thing is certain, the Doctor thought to himself. They are definitely learning. Looking out over the central chamber from atop a flat-topped boulder that had clearly been moved into this room for a dramatic purpose, the Time Lord attempted to analyze his current situation. The area was kept bare, no ornamentation or ceremonial fetishes needed to give the chamber the gravity it deserved. Unlike other places of execution that the Doctor had found himself in over his long and storied life, he was pleasantly surprised to see no bloodstains or signs of torture left by previous zebras that had found themselves in this unfortunate place. It seemed that, for the Anasi, an efficient and mess-free execution was enough to put the required fear into the natives, coupled with the chill in the air that wafted from the dark, square-shaped, pit behind them and made it more than slightly uncomfortable in the room. That feeling alone probably had a huge psychological impact on the zebras who were accustomed to living in the heavy, dry heat of the Plains. For this occasion, the vast majority of Stone-Water’s refugees had been forcibly summoned to attend, with guards at the front of the stage-like boulder and at the back of the room, boxing in the crowd of malnourished zebras as they anxiously awaited whatever had brought them there; a literally captive audience. It seemed Anasi required such measures to get any of these poor equines to listen to her. The Doctor supposed he wasn’t so special after all in that regard. As for his more personal situation, the Hourglass Stallion found that he was fairly well secured, his hooves strapped together at the fetlock and knee to prevent him from moving in more than an awkward, hobbled gait, and his neck tied back at the base of his tail in an uncomfortable manner and left him in a thoroughly undignified position. All of this wouldn’t have been a problem except that the Anasi seemed to have had one bit of sense most lacked, and had also managed to muzzle him, clamping his snout shut with a rather thick set of vines and robbing him of perhaps his most formidable tool: his words. Now he was starting to get a teeny little bit worried. Zilaka, while similarly bound at the hooves, kept a surprisingly dignified posture next to the Doctor, clearly not seen as being the same sort of threat. Still, he remained stoic, as Tagati, forgoing her theatrics, simply walked up onto the stage with a sharp, crisp step. “Mmmapphhahh mamphaha uahhh,” the chestnut-colored earth pony tried to say. Had he been capable of more than mumbling, he was sure whatever he had to say would have been something clever and humbling that might have turned the tables and kicked off his next daring plan. Or he might have just commented on how the black gown the Prophet wore clashed with her bloodshot, crazy eyes and asked why she hadn’t bothered to try and put her mask back together. He was also sure there was a glue factory joke to be made in there somewhere. “Our beloved subjects...” Tagati started, her tone measured but hardly soft as she paced across the stage. “We know that they have grown weary in these harsh times. We know that many of them are disheartened by the measures we have had to take to ensure that our supplies may last. And we are aware that some of the more foalish among them have begun to whimper and whine in discontent.” Oh, sure… the Doctor thought, rolling his eyes. Insult them. That’s the way to get them over to your side. “But now they can see where dissension brings us... As we speak, the skies are filled with darkness. The wings of death flock and beat overhead. And they ask how this has come to be…” Tagati took a breath and cast her hoof aside towards her prisoners. “Here is their answer! The unclean invader and the collaborator, each a blight upon the Plains and an insult to the Queen of All!” Right, right, blame the newcomers as a scapegoat. How predictable, the Doctor considered as he observed Tagati’s movements. Pony body language was still rather new to him, and zebras were admittedly different from ponies on many levels. But even so, he was sure that he was noticing some tensions and twitches that were certainly not on par with what he knew of them. The Prophet wasn’t a performer -- not really. The Doctor had recognized that the day before during their so-called "interrogation." Her show was crude and much of her cloak-and-shadow theatrics had relied on the bedeviling nature of that mask she had been wearing to throw off her "audience." Now, she was off her balance. Tagati, or whatever was working her puppet strings, may have talked a good talk, but there were a thousand subtle motions that denoted her stress and fear. The conclusion that the Doctor reached was certainly… interesting. If he was right, then Anasi was just as in the dark as to the overwhelming presence of the Rocs as they were. And while she tried to play it off, she was smart enough to understand that in addressing this issue to the zebras… she was playing with fire. All that was needed was a bit of fuel to set it out of her control. ———————— Prophet’s Chamber Thunder Drum Mountain At that exact moment Fluttershy was panting a bit as she and Zecora dropped the last few feet to the floor of the dark chamber before simply letting herself fall in a heap on the ground. “Fluttershy?” Twilight moved to her friend’s side, clearly concerned as the filly zebra moved around to the other side. In the cold silence of the room, they could hear the pegasus' stomach grumble audibly. The plan had gone off well enough, utilizing the secret passage that they had escaped through the day before to sneak back into Thunder Drum while the Anasi were distracted with what was happening earlier. But the crux of the plan, their winged yellow friend, had been showing more than a few signs of fatigue in pulling the two up to the entrance and then allowing them to reach the ground. “So… hungry…” Fluttershy groaned, taking several deep breaths as she tried to keep her wings from cramping up by leaving them unfolded. “I know,” Twilight sighed, pulling her hood back as she gave her friend an apologetic look. It was no secret that pegasi that flew constantly had to eat more than most other ponies -- Pinkie Pie notwithstanding -- just to keep their energy up. And while she didn’t know the exact caloric intake to exertion ratio, Twilight understood that Fluttershy had had barely anything to eat and very little to drink for the last day and a half. “I… I’ll be alright.” Fluttershy nodded, looking around the room. “I’ll be-- EEP!” At Fluttershy's startled cry, Twilight turned in place towards the direction she was looking, and immediately assumed a defensive posture upon noticing the silhouette of the zebra stallion standing in the entryway. “The main entrance is guarded, and there is only one other way in…” he stated, walking into the open and revealing his ash-striped fur, his legs set apart and his eyes tracing across Twilight's body, sizing her up. “As clever as you may believe yourself to be, this move was unfortunately predictable.” Twilight snorted as she dug a hoof into the ground, clearly not intimidated, which was something that the trained warrior could respect. But what he hadn’t counted on was the filly that suddenly moved in-between them. “Zulu... Brother, have you gone mad?” she started, absently reaching up to the cloth wrapped around her neck when she seemed to labor for her next breath. “These ponies are trying to save us, you cad!” That got the stallion’s attention as he rocked back, taking note of her sibling's very... odd speech pattern. “What in the name of the Plains was that?” “The price that was paid to end the spider’s curse.” Zecora pulled at the cloth, exposing the still bright green mark that was left on her neck, a sight that Twilight noticed was enough to cause the warrior to recoil. “Stopping the pain means I must now speak in verse.” “The Anasi have been lying to you, Zulu,” Twilight spoke up, taking note of how much difficulty Zecora had speaking. The rhyming was compulsive, as they had come to learn in the hours since she had woken up. True, the pain from the spider’s venom was gone, drawn out by the potion she had managed to (with great difficulty) recreate based on smell and feel, but there was a tradeoff: If she couldn’t think of a proper couplet to finish her words, the filly found she suddenly had a very difficult time breathing, as if her body itself refused to let her drop the verse. “Your mother’s possessed and your sister was poisoned," Twilight continued. "The Bite is of the Anasi’s own creation. Those little spiders your Prophet keeps in her mane? They’re the cause! Zecora was bitten trying to free Tagati from their magic. And now they have your father!” There was a moment of silence. “...I know,” Zulu stated simply. Twilight recoiled in disgust. “And you still serve this thing?” “It was the only practical path,” Zulu told the unicorn. “She explained it to me… Anasi spoke to me directly… and it all made sense. The Plains were in ruin, there was no water, and the earth had gone dry. If the herds were not brought together under one banner, under an iron hoof, then they would destroy each other. War over crumbs of food and mouthfuls of water. We... had to make them fear us… It was the only way to save them… even if…” Zulu looked down and away, his voice catching in his throat. “…sacrifices… had to be made. To keep the herds in line.” “You stood by while they murdered fillies and foals!” Zecora shook her head, jabbing a hoof at Zulu accusingly. “What good is it to live if it costs us our souls!?” “It all made sense… she told me…” Zulu shook his head as Twilight’s eyes widened in realization. “You can’t hear her anymore, can you?” Zulu didn’t meet the unicorn’s eyes. “No… Not since your ‘Doctor’ was here. I do not know what magic he used, but the pain he caused her... I felt it only for a moment, and since then, it has been so… quiet. For years I never gave thought to what was being done; there was always so much happening… I could see so many things, feel so much going on. I had to keep order; had to maintain discipline. It was the only way we were going to survive the Parching… To make sure that the herds would--” “You followed blindly and you do not even know why!” Zecora cried out, taking another step forward. “You want to know where Anasi will lead? Just look to the sky.” “I…” Zulu started, but trailed off. “It… all made sense…” “You sacrificed too much, Zulu… and now your father and our friend are supposed to be next on that list,” Twilight said grimly. “If you want to fight us… I know we will lose,” Zecora stated bluntly, having no doubts about her elder brother’s combat prowess, as he had achieved the status of Sage of War when he was barely her own age. “But if your mind is your own… then what do you choose?” Zulu looked back up, watching as a filly who seemed so much older than she actually was, the line-covered purple unicorn, and the recovering yellow pegasus, stood together to oppose to him. ———————— “This... treason… would have been the end of us…” Tagati went on. Oh, for the love of… is it over yet? the Doctor thought to himself, glancing back towards the Pit. Okay. Ten more minutes… and then I’m jumping in myself. “Had it not been for the glorious vision of the Queen of All…” Make that five minutes. The Doctor drooped, trying to tune out the babbling zebra mare and looking out towards the audience. Many of them still wore an expression of frightened submission, although he did have to applaud the zebras as a whole for not jumping on Tagati’s words or cheering on the (apparently indefinitely postponed on account of yammering) execution. But he also took note that quite a few of the colts and fillies among the audience were starting to look downright bored, like humans in a church they didn’t actually believe in. And then, he saw them: a handful of determined-looking faces among the sea of stripes. And while he wasn’t a master of differentiating the zebras from one another, particularly when they were so tightly packed together like this, the Doctor couldn’t help but shake the feeling that some of them looked rather… familiar. “…with this one’s fall!” The Doctor was drawn away from his observation as Tagati hissed in his ear, drawing him forward with a hobbled step. “This creature calls itself ‘Doctor.’ A name for a healer and academic… a title that belies its aspirations as a trickster and seditionist,” Tagati touted, her hooves clicking sharply as the Time Pony stood, turning to the side. It could have been worse, he supposed -- at least this time they had not bothered to remove his outfit or even his goggles. That would be embarrassing, being up on the stage in this position while completely naked. “And here, a true traitor, once respected… once loved… The last of the Ash-Stripe dissenters! The Sage, Zilaka!” Tagati nudged the zebra stallion forward, though he did not so much as falter in his contemptuous expression. “To think that it whom we believed embraced the way of the Queen would be in league with the stripless foal who brought the Rocs to our skies.” Zilaka huffed as he locked eyes on with Prophet of Anasi, her own expression that of a raving madmare. “Do the condemned have any last words?” Tagati grinned wickedly at the Doctor. “Mmuahpph dhahhda, ummapphhh,” the Doctor mumbled pleasantly, which brought an amused huff from Tagati as she moved down the line. “And you… my love?” Zilaka’s eyes narrowed. “Do not even pretend to be the mare that I loved,” he stated coldly. “She would not have left our filly to die.” There was a moment, a brief hesitation… and the Doctor’s keen eye saw the instant of overpowering defiance. “...Zecora…?” Tagati’s tone softened just a little bit. And then the defiance was crushed, an angry glare replacing concern as she raised a hoof with an authoritative declaration. “TO THE PIT!” The zebra mare nudged him, clearly feeling in complete control as she stood next to the hobbled stallion. “We would hear the Doctor’s last words.” The elder sounding mare’s voice came from the crowd, and was met with quite a few whinnies of agreement. Tagati seemed… stunned. “Who dares speak?” she demanded. The Doctor scanned the crowd as the elder voice spoke up again. “By the great Anasi’s leave, we would hear the last word of the pony.” He knew that voice... Teaka? “What harm is there if we wish to hear him beg for mercy, oh, mighty Prophet?” There was an assortment of nods, the Doctor noticed, as he looked over the crowd. Oddly enough coming from several zebras who were edged along the front of the audience. Always one to try and see the whole picture, the Doctor glanced towards the back, to the cave's open entryway... and allowed himself a small surprised huff. “The herds wish to hear it beg? So be it,” Tagati cackled as she dipped her head into a satchel along her back, pulling out a sharpened stone knife and expertly cutting along the side of the Doctor’s head. All she did was slash only the vine, although her leer made it clear that she could do much worse if she wished. “Thank you, Anasi.” The brown pony flexed his jaw for a moment, making several faces as he tried to work out the soreness of his snout. “And don't worry, I have only one thing to say.” “Being?” Tagati managed, holding the knife loosely with her teeth as she spoke. Then the Doctor grinned, and Tagati’s expression dropped, the knife falling from her lips at the sight and realization of her mistake. “NOW!” “HEY!” Half of the room turned towards the sudden shout as a bright purple unicorn rushed into the room, discarding her cloak and pulling herself up on her hind legs to wave her forelegs about wildly. “LOOK AT ME! I’M A TARGET!” In almost perfect unison, there was a shifting of hooves as multiple zebra warriors turned to ready their spears and, just as predicted, taking all of their eyes away from the zebras in the crowd who went for their own weapons. From the crowd, several members of the Towiki Herd began to lob clay vials into the air, each one containing a slightly altered mixture of sleep drought with a separate, smaller container suspended in the fluid that held a tiny chunk of Emberstone. Emberstone, as Zecora had told her pony friends back in the medicine hut, was a naturally-occurring mineral that constantly gave off a steady heat. When concentrated in small piles, Emberstones could easily boil a cauldron for weeks without any smoke or other refuse. But as soon as those vials impacted the ground at the hooves of the Anasi warriors, breaking open as they did, the heat of the Emberstones caused the drought to instantly turn to steam... *FWOOOMPH* ...the immediate effect of which was to render the warriors instantly incapacitated, dropping them to the floor like sacks of potatoes. All around, the remaining zebras in the room began to panic and run for the exit, with Tagati crying out in an unsuccessful attempt to restore order. “Stripeless beast!” A guard who had managed to evade the bombardment bore down on Twilight, rushing her position as the chaos began. *THWACK* The warrior’s legs were swept out by a deftly handled spear haft as a grey-striped stallion moved up from the side, twisting his neck at the perfect angle to catch the charging zebra along the side of the head. Twilight gave Zulu a brief nod in thanks before diving ahead into the confusion, having to dart and weave across the veritable stampede as the Doctor laughed mirthfully on stage at Tagati’s apparent shock. “What’s the matter, Anasi? Too much going on at once? Not sure whose eyes to follow?” “What!? How!? HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS!?” “Oh, this wasn’t me.” The Doctor shrugged as he took a hobbled, shuffling step to the side. “This is all them.” “Mother!” Tagati turned back at the sound of her son's shout, hardly believing that the mohawked warlord had closed the distance so fast in spite of the still rushing stampede. Quickly, the mare dipped down to retrieve her blade... *Thump-THWACK* ...only to be caught in a practiced one-two strike that sent her sprawling over the edge of the stage. “...I can only hope you forgive me,” Zulu exhaled sadly, looking about as several remaining members of the Towiki overpowered the last of the conscious guards, breaking open the sleep grenades that they had been given right in front of the stallions' faces in order to knock them out. “Twilight Sparkle...” The Doctor grinned as the purple unicorn climbed up to join them on the stage. “You. Are. Brilliant!” “It's just a silly idea I had.” The unicorn smiled in relief, amazed at how quickly the plan had been pulled off. “Oh, it's not silly at all! It's as good as any plan I could've come up with. Really, I am thoroughly impressed right now.” The stallion warmly returned her smile, his words causing the mare to blush deeply. “What about Fluttershy? Is she--” “She’s back near the entrance. All of the flying over the last few days has taken a lot out of her.” Twilight pointed back towards the doorway, where the Doctor took note of Fluttershy laying down, looking quite exhausted. “Twilight Sparkle!” Teaka called from the now empty chamber, only the handful of volunteers that had been present for the miracle on the outskirts of the village now tending to the zebra warriors. “The mountain is taken! And without a single life lost!” “Alright. Get them outside and tie them up, the sleeping gas won’t last forever. After that, we should try and round up any that are left,” Twilight stated, showing a degree of authority and leadership that continued to impress the still bound Doctor . “This is most of the Anasi guard right here. Their effectiveness was in their discipline and ruthlessness, not their numbers. There may be two or three pairs patrolling the village itself,” Zulu told them quickly. “You should organize groups armed with these weapons to incapacitate them.” “Right!” Teaka turned to her fellow Towiki zebras, clearly flushed with victory as they set about to quickly do as asked, and started dragging the zebra warriors past the pegasus in the doorway. “That is my sleeping potion... turned to clouds?” Zilaka was aghast, realizing that the vapors’ effective ranges were extremely limited, but that they had been used to such a perfect effect that nearly all of Anasi’s soldiers had been taken out of the fight before it even started. “Add a steaming agent and a heat source... Why did I not think of that?” Shaking his head exasperatedly, he looked to Zulu, the zebra colt moving up to him with an apologetic tone. “Father... I am sorry.” The warrior bowed his head, unable to meet the elder sage’s eyes. “You were right all along.” Zilaka, still stunned by the turn of events, merely shook his head harder. “No... it is alright,” he stated as the younger sage moved with spear in teeth to cut away his bindings. “What of Zecora? Is she--” “I am here, father, in plain sight!” the filly called out, rushing across the room with a gleeful step and leaving Fluttershy next to the exit. “It is over! All is right!” Zilaka gasped happily, moving down from the stage to meet his daughter up close. The moment they came together, Zecora craned her neck up to rest against her father's body, and he happened to notice the spot where the spider had bitten her, looking a lot more innocuous since the last time he'd seen it. “The experimental potions... The Ashmed... you...” he was shocked and horrified for a moment that his foal would take such a risk. “We were wrong about how it was applied,” Zecora tried to explain, setting her face to her father’s upper leg affectionately as a single tear dripped down her face. “It was to be poured on the wound, not imbibed.” “Why are you speaking like that?” Zilaka asked, eying his daughter curiously as he knelt down. On the stage, Zulu turned away from the reunion, trying to suppress his own feelings as he looked to the Time Lord. “Doctor, I believe this...” The warrior set his spear aside, moving towards the brown pony as he reached into his pouch, pulling free a familiar metal cylinder. “...is yours.” The Hourglass Stallion nodded, directing the zebra to aim the device in his direction as it came to life at his command, and the vines keeping him bound snapped cleanly off. “It’s over...” Twilight sighed with relief as she watched the Towiki pull the rest of the zebra warriors towards the exit. “Over...?” A ragged, scratchy voice drew every eye towards the front of the stage, where the Prophet was pulling herself up with trembling legs. “Stupid animals...” Tagati took a staggered step forward, casting a menacing glare at her assembled audience. “Everything we have worked so hard to set in motion...” Another step. “Our plan was perfect... Flawless... And then they come here, and attempt to defy the will of a GODDESS!?” Tagati’s voice cracked at the end of her sudden outraged shriek, her head raised high as if screaming at the heavens themselves. Then she took in a deep, rasping breath before lowering her head sharply, her eyes having taken on a blackened color as she glared back at the ponies and remaining Ash-Stripes. “And in their ignorance, they find their doom... for it is the last mistake they will ever make,” the Prophet growled in a voice drenched in boiling anger and cold certainty. Suddenly, Fluttershy shrieked from the doorway, drawing all attention to her as the wide-eyed yellow mare pointed towards the stage. “Sp-sp...SPIDERS!” she cried out, giving name to the newest threat that was just now making itself apparent. A rough skittering sound began to echo throughout the chamber, and from the Pit behind them, the chilling air brought forth a terrible new danger as dozens upon dozens of menacing black spiders, each the size of a hoof, began to crawl and scurry out and onto the stage. Twilight let out a startled shriek as everypony and zebra recoiled from this new development, except for Zilaka, who rushed forward to grab the stunned mare and pull her back from the encroaching swarm. “Zulu, my sonic!” the Doctor shouted, and the zebra warrior was about to toss it over with a flick of his head... *THUMPH* “Ungh!” ...only to be tackled by the Prophet, pushing them both off the back of the stage and flinging the sonic screwdriver wildly into the air. Rolling around on the cold stone floor as it swarmed over with spiders, Zulu and Tagati struggled for a moment, each one trying to get the upper hoof. Then, as if realizing she was about to be easily overpowered, the Prophet desperately wrapped her forelegs around her opponent. “For the glory of Anasi!” she hissed loudly. And then, without another word, Tagati threw her weight to the side, sending both zebras sprawling right into the Pit. “NOOO!” The Doctor surged forward, his eyes widening in horror before several of the larger arachnids jumped towards him, their mandibles clearly visible as well as their eight, shining red eyes, driving him back. Around the sides of the stage, even more of the creepy crawly creatures came, pouring from the edges of the Pit like water burst from a dam. Fluttershy watched in mute horror as Twilight moved towards Zecora, having to catch the filly by the tail before she dove after her brother, while the Doctor and Zilaka were surrounded on the stage. *chink* Gasping for breath, her attention was taken by the sudden sound of metal striking the floor next to her hooves. “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!” the yellow pegasus squeaked and shuddered as she looked to see the Doctor’s magic device and dove for it, fumbling with the ribbed metal in her hooves for a moment as she quickly came to a realization. “DOCTOR! I DON’T KNOW HOW TO USE THIS!” she shouted, terror filling her as she realized her friends were now all but surrounded by what must have been hundreds of scurrying black spiders that were now also moving towards her like a living wave. “THE INTERFACE IS PSYCHIC!” the Doctor called back, his voice on the edge of panic as he and Zilaka pressed up against one another while the spiders closed in. “POINT AND THINK, FLUTTERSHY! POINT AND THINK!” Point and think. Point and think. Fluttershy's hooves trembled as she tried to hold the device up towards the advancing swarm. Stop! she thought loudly in her head. The swarm continued to advance. Please stop!? She fought back tears as she tried desperately to hold onto the screwdriver in spite of her shaking, her attempt at thinking at the swarm dissolving into thoughts of panic. Unbidden, her stomach growled painfully as her thoughts were diverted for just a second. So hungry... Food... tea... bread... Fluttershy shook her head roughly as she tried to ignore her stomach, but not before it caused one of her memories to stir unexpectedly. Dry bread... She remembered the Doctor saying that the day before... Remarking on the ground and how brittle it was... how it crumbled... *whirrrrrrr* *CRACK* Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she looked down, realizing that she had the tip of the magic stick pointed towards the floor... which now had a huge crack running through it. “Oh no... No, no, noooo...” she pleaded softly as she watched the crack spread quickly under the swarm and across the central chamber. *CRAAAAAAAAAAACK-KRSSSSSH* “YIPE!” Fluttershy fell back as the ground in front of her gave way, dropping the cursed metal device in her effort to run from the widening fissure. She heard the cries of her friends and the panicked, scratchy scurrying of hundreds of insect legs as they tried to escape the splintering stone. Overcome with fear, she clamped her eyes shut. Then... after a terrible few seconds... there was nothing. “Oh, dear Celestia, no...” the pegasus whimpered, barely able to hear herself over the ringing in her ears. Shaking uncontrollably, she somehow managed to bring herself to her hooves and chance opening her eyes to see what had unfolded. In an instant, she wished she hadn't. For the entirety of the chamber, from where she now stood to the walls on every side... the floor was gone. Nothing but a giant, dark, empty hole in the ground through which her friends had plummeted... likely to their deaths. Tears filled her eyes as Fluttershy fell back, pushing herself into the wall of the corridor and curling into a ball on the floor as she covered her head with her hooves, desperately wanting somepony, anypony, to tell her that it was alright; that what she just witnessed didn’t actually happen. But her heart felt torn in two as she came to the realization that it had happened. And far more terrible than that was a single fact that made her want to never crawl out of that dark, unforgiving place. The fact that it was all her fault.